


The future is what you make of it.

by clockwork_spider



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Fix-It, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, fluff about death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 01:14:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5987215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clockwork_spider/pseuds/clockwork_spider
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Byakuran and Tsuna discuss Tsuna's first kill, who happens to be TYL Byakuran.</p><p>
  <i>Tsuna made his first kill at the tender age of 14. It was Byakuran. Though it wasn't initially framed that way. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>It wasn't until recently, when Tsuna begun to dread the eventuality of making his first kill, did he make the shocking realization. </i>
</p><p>
  <i>He had already killed someone. </i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	The future is what you make of it.

Tsuna made his first kill at the tender age of 14. It was Byakuran. Though it wasn't initially framed that way. 

Irie-san, bless his future soul, was really careful to use the word "defeated", and "victory". It sort of helped that there wasn't a body left for them to see. It made the whole concept of death very abstract.

Out of sight, out of mind. 

It wasn't until recently, when Tsuna begun to dread the eventuality of making his first kill, did he make the shocking realization. 

_He had already killed someone._

* * *

"He kept Yuni drugged for months and killed thousands of people, myself included," Reborn said, in his matter-of-fact voice. Obviously, Byakuran deserved everything he got. 

In some cases, murder is completely justified. 

This wasn't as comforting to Tsuna as Reborn would hope. 

* * *

 

"Byakuran-san, do you remember... Your death?" 

It was the New Years party, and Byakuran happened to be sipping fruit punch out of a champaign glass on the balcony. Over the year, Tsuna and Byakuran have developed an _uncomfortable_ mutual understanding. 

"Oh, so that's why Reborn told me to speak to you on the threat of death," Byakuran nodded with an expression of comprehension. 

"Oh god," Tsuna face-palmed, "I'm sorry."

"No problem!" Byakuran laughed good-naturedly, wings fluttering, "anything for my dear friend Tsunayoshi-kun." 

It was hard to associate someone so unflappably chipper with the demon from that future. 

"As for your question, yeah, I do." 

"Oh," Tsuna said, a pang of guilt on his face. 

"I remember a lot of deaths, actually," Byakuran added cheerily, as if speaking of some movie, "You only killed me once."

Tsuna didn't wince at the "k" word. If anything, the lack of euphemism was appreciated. 

"Was it..." _Painful? Scary?_ Tsuna wanted to ask, but he didn't want to bring up unpleasant memories. 

"Not particularly," Byakuran answered, Tsuna wasn't even surprised that his mind was read. Byakuran did that sometimes, "they're all the same after you get used to it." 

"How can you do it?" Tsuna's face formed that wide-eyed, sympathetic look, the one he gives to killers. 

"It's actually harder for me to remember that this is the last time I'm alive," Byakuran shrugged, "I get used to the idea that, if I die, some other me will just continue to _be._ But that's not the case anymore. I'm no longer _them_. There's only one of me now. It's a little frightening, actually." 

"Your life is important, Byakuran-san. You saved Yamamoto, and Gamma, and Yuni," Tsuna reminded, the worried sympathetic look still on his face. 

"Yep... I figured," Byakuran nodded, contemplative, before smiling appreciatively, "thanks." 

"Anyway, I don't think you should feel too bad about killing my future self, he was planning to remake the world! You saved billions of people!"

"Funny you should say that about yourself." Tsuna wasn't sure whether to sigh or laugh. 

Byakuran studied him. The tired look didn't leave Tsuna's face.

"You're like Yuni. You don't believe bad people deserves to die," Byakuran concluded, looking unusually pensive. 

"You're not a bad person, though," Tsuna pointed out, because he really was confused, on whether the Byakuran he snuffed out was capable of goodness like the one before him. 

"Not this time around," Byakuran nodded.

"In another universe, I had my first kill at 11. They say the first kill's the hardest, but I was surprised by how easy it was. I didn't understand the value of human lives. 

"I heard that empathy really starts to develop around the age of 8, I'm already 16. I still don't feel too bad about it. I guess I'm a late bloomer," he laughed. 

"That wasn't you."

"Oh, but it was," Byakuran answered, doing a dramatic little twirl, "they're all me."

"I plan to live this life without killing anymore people. Think I can do it?" He turned to faced Tsuna, tilting his head to the side, expression blank. 

"You definitely can," Tsuna answered, with absolute conviction, the type that says 'if you believe in people hard enough, they'll become good'. 

"Thanks, Tsunayoshi-kun," Byakuran smiled, "they say the first kill's the hardest, but it doesn't have to be. Do you think it'll be easier for you to kill another person?" 

"No!" Tsuna denied instinctively, reeling back. He took some time to contemplate on this reaction, "...no." A smile bloomed on his face. 

"No, it won't be easier after all," somehow, this made things better. 

"Then you're still alright," Byakuran gave him a thumbs up and a disturbingly radiant smile. "If it makes you feel better, I do hate you for it, just a little. But I wouldn't feel too bad about it if I were in your place."   
  
Somehow, Tsuna couldn't help but laugh; at what, he wasn't sure. It didn't make anything okay, but somehow, he did feel a little better. 

"I'll keep that in mind," he answered, laughing. 

"You're so innocent, Tsuna-chan!" Byakuran giggled, _giggled_ , and launched himself toward Tsuna in a tight hug, "to think you'd feel bad about killing me, I should use this to blackmail you." 

"Hiiieeee!" Tsuna screeched, "Byakuran-san!" Tsuna wasn't sure how he felt about the upgrade to pet-name basis, or the thought of being blackmailed. 

"Well, I guess Yuni wouldn't like that," Byakuran laughed, letting go after a few affectionate nuzzle. From inside the house, Gokudera felt a sudden pang of irrational fury, and crushed the cup of fruit punch situated in his hand. 

_Well, that's a relief._

"Thanks," Tsuna said, hesitantly, "for speaking with me."

"You're welcome," Byakuran answered, a skip in his step. "It's funny, Shou-chan was asking about the same thing just last week. You guys have an inclination for self-blame." 

"You're a good person, Tsuna-chan," Byakuran continued after a beat, an unfamiliar softness crossed his expression, "don't let us change that."

"I would never," Tsuna promised, if he believed it hard enough, it would become reality. 

A snowflake landed on in his hands, it was the first snow of the year.


End file.
